


night time calls

by rubyliam



Series: rubiam fics [6]
Category: The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: F/M, but i promise it's sweet, i hope u enjoy, i typed out 800 words in like an hour, this is short, was gonna add more but eh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:34:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24260671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyliam/pseuds/rubyliam
Summary: “It’s pretty early in the morning, darlin’,” his accent sounded the same over the phone and Ruby closed her eyes, trying to picture the days when she sat beside him in Black Betty. “I don’t know whether I should help you sleep or continue to talk to you.”
Relationships: Ruby Daly/Liam Stewart
Series: rubiam fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1410469
Kudos: 36





	night time calls

**Author's Note:**

> the first 3 paragraphs are straight from IN THE AFTERLIGHT but just switched the pov. enjoy!

_“_ Who sent you _?”_

_“Fuck you!” Ruby shouted right back in his face._

_She braced herself as he swung his arm back, but it did nothing—nothing—to prepare her for the explosion of white-hot agony that rocketed through her as his baton struck her exposed shin. Ruby screamed, jerking against the restraints. She heard the crack, felt it inside of her head like it was her skull splitting apart. The PSF behind the camp controller only watched impassively as O-Ryan struck the broken bone again, smiling as Ruby vomited on the floor—_

Ruby woke up in bed, sitting up and outstretching a hand toward her shin that hurt like hell from the movement. Her breaths went in and out fast because of the memory and the days it had brought back to the front of her mind. The ringing in her ears reminded her of White Noise and it was hard to recognize her ringing phone that was vibrating on the night table next to her. Her room was still lit by the lamp she forgot to turn off when she fell asleep.

Liam’s face filled her screen with a picture he had taken of them on their most recent date, just a few weeks ago. He only lived a few hours away but the change of seeing him _every_ day to seeing him every two weeks was difficult, to say the least. Her shaking hands reached towards her phone and pressed the answer icon, putting it on speaker before her hand closed in a fist.

The neon red numbers on her clock told her it was almost 6 A.M

“It’s pretty early in the morning, darlin’,” his accent sounded the same over the phone and Ruby closed her eyes, trying to picture the days when she sat beside him in Black Betty. “I don’t know whether I should help you sleep or continue to talk to you.”

“Nightmare,” Ruby whispered, hoping it was loud enough for Liam to hear because she didn’t have the strength to speak any louder. “Talk to me about anything.”

“I just got on the highway,” Liam said, not asking about her nightmare and going into a rundown of what he was doing. It was their routine every time Ruby was shaken up from something. “I don’t know why I decided to call you, some sort of gut feeling. Like the time back at the motel, a few days after you joined our ragtag group escaping from the camp. When I made up a stupid story about extremities being the first to get cold—”

“Seconds before, I was having a breakdown. So you knocked on the door and I answered only wearing my towel causing you to be a blubbering mess.” Ruby interrupted him, grabbing onto the memory from all those months back. She let the image of Liam blushing, along with his laugh across the line, ground her. She smiled small. “Idiot.”

“Stewart charm still worked on you, though.”

Ruby’s heart ached to see the smile she could feel Liam had on his face and it was enough to distract from her throbbing injury. She glanced to the pain pills on her nightstand and took a deep breath as she reached for the bottle and her cup of water. “So you’ll be here in three hours?”

“I’m counting on it,” Liam said.

“Are we still planning on going to Virginia Beach?” Ruby asked, leaning back slowly to turn her lamp off and lay down further into the bed.

“Of course, darlin’.” She closed her eyes to the familiar comfort of his voice. “That’s why I left so early. I brought the truck and plenty of blankets and pillows. We can pick up some snacks on the way. It’ll be just us.”

“Good,” Ruby said, sleep pulling her into its grasp slowly. The images of O’Ryan and Thurmond were replaced with empty motel rooms, a red dress, and a pair of socks.

They weren’t as often anymore—the nightmares. Cole had told her to walk out on her own feet and leave the place behind and that’s what Ruby did. But walking away from something, finding your peace with it…that didn’t take away from the trauma.

“Are you falling asleep now?” Liam said, after moments of silence. There was a tinge of relief in his voice and Ruby could imagine it behind her closed eyes—could pull from the countless of other times the expression had been on his face when he was able to calm her down from a nightmare.

Ruby whispered, “Yeah. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“See you in a few hours, darlin’. I love you.”

The words were so soft as she said them back, as she felt the love deep in her chest for the man who always was, and would be, there on the other side of the line.


End file.
